Adaptable conveyer



Aug. s, 1948. RAF 2,446,472

ADAPTABLE CONVEYER Filed March 5, 1945 Patented Aug. 3, 1%43 TED STATES it? TENT OFFICE CONVEYER LloydA. Gra f, Wauseon Ohio *Application March 5, 1945, Serial No; 580,970

1 Claim. 1

' 'Ihis invention relates to handlin bulknand l package -materials as :a .ucontinuous process.

whether: laterally or 'for elevation or descent.

This invention -.has iutilitvwhen incorporatedlin a power actuated endless conveyororfiightrproviding device in conjunction with-a mounting and directing carrier trough therefor, readily portable for-multiple :rangescf set-up and use.

-Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of an embodiment of the unit connected to a tractor for shiftingits :location for use ywhile also dis-closing a positionior uselasla conveyor either towardor from the haulage means or tractor;

Fig. 2 is a sideblevation of the device in an -.adjusted' elevation position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View on the line III-J11 Fig. 2, showin "the hopper as mounted on the conveyor;

F'lg.'=4 is a fragmentarylplan View of thaupper p'ortionbf' the conveyor and troughtherefor, showing the grid or screen-for taking outfines, -or say shelled corn, when ear'corn be the material elevated; and

= Fig; 5 is a fragmentary viewrfr'om theline V'-V, Fig. 2, showin the carrier mounting for the device.

1A tractor l is shown providedrwith ahaulage tion of the trough sides.

Adjacent one end of the trough 4 is a shaft 8 just at or below the level of the floor 6. Outward from the trough 4, this shaft 8 has fixed therewith a flat face driving pulley 9.

Fixed with the shaft 8 medially of the trough 4 is a sprocket wheel l about which extends a sprocket chain 1 l with a reach upward therefrom over the floor 6 to pass about a sprocket wheel l2 on shaft I3 near the remote or upper end of the trough 4. Therefrom the chain II has a downward reach in the trough box formed between the floors 6, 5, to the sprocket wheel It).

At intervals, fixed with the chain H, are transverse plates or flights l4 adapted to ride in the trough above the floor 6 to shift material therealong. The lower or reverse reach of the chain II, has the flights 14 move the material to be conveyed over the floor 5. Say from a power take-off of a tractor, a belt I may drive the pulleyil. Cl-ockwise direction of rotation of the Dul-v ley-ltQFig. 2) would cause the unit to beoperated as an elevator, while the reverse direction or drive-would ontrol descentyor the-load: on the pull'r-each-of the chain 5 l flare hop-per l '8 may have threaded stems l l to be engaged by "Wing nuts 18 in assembling the hopperlo '-with brackets Hi from the fiareiside wallportions 1 of the trough 4 :near: an endwoi the trough, thereby readily to direct looseibuik material into the 1 trough on :the "floor-1 6. g

In the event the transport items be of; dimension, as bvoxes, cratesror bales'ztherhopper lfiuis surplusage and desirablyis removed. "Applicant has *found 'efli cient 'clire'ctingiand propulsion of the rectangular-obiects is achieved [byv the flare sides 'l iroviding slight extent 'for :rubbing .con-

tact,:-a l -with-i a-.-';c'orne ilto bevin the trough for positive flightiengagement therewith.

"'Frequently'zathe-r dumping 1 ore-bulk 1 material '1 in the hopper It mayincludefines;which it may not be desirable to rdischarge with thereonveyed, ma-

' terialf With tthismurposein view, a, removable floor"section-10';(-Eig. 4)',near the:upper end of overt-heflocr BLmaylthen', at'the release of a hook 22, for U-shaped section 22' to hang; downward 'rom.;the;floor 5 as a discharge spout to collect the'shelled corn inr-a bag or basket 23.

A connection or mounting: 24: On the trough; 4 may be for aprimesmover 1011:;6160171i0 motor: :25

i having .:a. v-b'elt ltherefnom: assay; speed reduction connection to the pulley 9, In this set-up, electric power line connection may be made in wide ranges of placement, as about a barn or other agricultural buildings. Transporting of bales 26, or other materials is conveniently cared for,

Trough embracing bracket 21, is shown with pivotal connection 28 with rods 29 having openings 30 to receive pins 3| of tubular sections 32, having hinge connections 33 with axle bracket 34 of ground wheels 35. In addition to this adjustable telescopic section link structure from the axle bracket 34, which bracket 34 provides a seat 36 for the trough 4 when in approximately horizontal position, hinge connections 3'! mount con- Vergil'lg tubular sections 38 swingably to receive telescopically therein rod sections 39. Pins 40 in the sections 38 may enter holes M in the rods 39 and adjust the spacin of the axle bracket 34 from trough bracket 42 with which the rods 39 are pivoted. The bracket 42 is spaced from the bracket 21. Along the trough 4 still farther from the bracket 21 and near the bracket 42 is a shaft 43 having a ratchet wheel 44, normally engaged by a pawl 45 as thrown by a spring 48. The shaft 43 as fixed with the trough 4, has therefrom a cable 41 to a branch 48 with cable sections 49 diverging therefrom to the axle bracket 34.

When the trough 4 be in the saddle or seat 36, the operator who desires to use the unit as an elevator, may lift the trough 4 at the end carrying the shaft I3 to have the rods 29 pulled out of the tubes 32 a desired distance, when the pins 3| may be inserted to lock for such adjusted setup. This liftin of the end of the trough 4 having the shaft 13, tilts the shaft 8 toward the ground where a ground guard or bail 50 may engage as a support. The operator may then, thru a crank 5| wind the cable 41 on the shaft 43, in drawing the wheels 35 toward the support 50. At the desired elevation, pins 40 may stabilize the cable adjustment, thru the converging telescopic sections 38, 39.

The equipment or unit as herein disclosed, due to its wide ranges of adaptability, provides a tool or working apparatus for extended general use, especially in and about a farm, or places where agricultural work is carried on. Furthermore, due to its flexibility to conforming to the varied transporting problems, its utility extends to warehouses, storage locations, grain elevators, as well as receiving and shipping depots for bulk as well as package materials, even with the latter in departures from uniformity.

The endless belt conveyor is shown as comprising a chain I l with flights l4 fixed perpendicular to the chain, and when for agricultural use, the flights are spaced sufliciently to allow a bale therebetween. However, the upper edge of a flight I4 is sufliciently rigid to definitely engage a bale corner as lodged thereon.

The endless belt device in its mounting or trough 4 has two reaches, one way over the floor .6, say for ascent, as the drive pulley 9 be actuated clockwise, and the other way for descent over the the grid or screen 2!, forms selective means for the removal of fines to be salvaged, say at receiver or bag means 23.

The pair of carrier or ground wheels 35 are available for imparting convenient portability to the unit, as well as responding to placement, even in elevating or lowering, as to anchorage or rest 50, when the crank 5| be operated.

The primary supporting means resides in the axle bracket 34, and it is therefrom that the controls are effective in setting up and taking down the equipment.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

A conveyor comprising an endless belt device having two reaches, a support for the device having a trough lengthwise thereof for one of the reaches and parallel to the trough a way for the other reach, mounting means for directing the support to incline upwardly, said device having flights coacting with the trough for conveying material to be discharged from the trough upper end, and a screen bottom section for the trough in communication with the way spaced from the trough upper discharge end'for delivering material from the trough to the way, discharge means in said way bottom spaced from said screen bottom and disposed farther from the trough upper discharge end than said screen bottom, said device flights in moving downwardly along the way adapted to convey material delivered to the way through the screen bottom downwardly along the way to said way discharge.

LLOYD A. GRAF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 284,234 Reeves Sept. 4, 1883 675,250 Shoemaker May 28, 1901 833,141 Van Nouhuys Oct. 9, 1906 921,672 Burr May 18, 1909 1,471,763 Wentz Oct. 23, 1923 1,488,858 Arndt Apr. 1, 1924 1,716,979 Ronemous June 11, 1929 1,790,809 Haiss Feb, 3, 1931 1,796,495 Veilleux Mar. 17, 1931 1,808,421 Liggett June 2, 1931 1,854,561 Owens et a1 Apr. 19, 1932 1,950,506 McLaughlin Mar. 13, 1934 2,343,444 Coon Mar. 7, 1944 2,387,189 Steinmetz Oct. 16, 1945 

